Heel lift for shoes



Oct. 21,1925- 1,559,382 w. J TOMPKINS E311 LIFT FOR SHQES- 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 9,' 1920 5 Elma/1W0: William J W- J. TOMPKINSHEEL LIFT FOR SHOES Oct. 27 1925.

Filed April 9, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 William Jfbrryvkz'ns, y WM PatentedGet. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES "PATENT, OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. TOMPKINS, or MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

HEEL LIFT FOR SHOES.

Application'filed April 9, 1920. Serial ITo. 372,435.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LNVILLIAM J. ToMr- KINS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of the city of Mount Vernon, in the county andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improve tactwith the heel surface. It has been proposed to construct the lift with arand on its attaching face, extending along its breast edge, each of theside edges, and the rear edge, so that when pressure is applied to thetread face of the lift and the lift then securely nailed to the shoe,the marginal edges of the lift will exert a resilient compressing actionagainst the face of the shoe :10 heel and thus closely hug the leathersurface without necessitating the use of an ad hesive. However, thisform of heel lift has been found objectionable since it is generallynecessary to trim off the edges of the lift after it has been secured'tothe shoe heel, and it was then found that the'breast corners of the liftwere not in positive con tact with the heel face. I This is due to thefact that the meeting ends of the inclined surfaces of the 'rands' alongthe breast and the side edges of the lift which extend at right anglesto each other produce diagonally extending channels or depressions atthe 'breastcorners of the lift. As a consequence when the lift isapplied and secured to the shoe heel, after trimming the edges, gaps orspaces willbe noticed at the breastcorners where the rand surfaces meet,such surfaces of the channels or depressions being out of contact withthe leather shoe heel.

It is the primary object of'the present invention to provide a resilientheel lift which is of such construction that a tight hugging contactthroughout 'themarginal edges of 'plain attaching face between itsmarginal the marginal edges of the'liftyin close conthe lift and at thebreast corners thereof against the face of theshoe heel will beobtaine'd without necessitating the use of an adhesive. In'oneembodiment of th'e'invention the lift is formed with a perfectly edges,and the breast corners thereof'areangularly offset with respect to theplane of the lift body, so that they project above'the attaching face.of the lift. In another em bodiment I propose to .form the-heel'liftwith a rand extending-along only the side and rear edges of itsattaching face, while the breast portion of the lift is longitudinallyinclined in a plane'at'an obtuse angl with relation to the planeof thebody ofthe "lift, so that the rand surfaces at the breast corners andthe surface of said inclined breast portion will preferably mergetogether without presenting definite lines of joinder, or withoutnecessarily producing any noticeable channels or depressions at thebreast corners, such as are characteristic of the type of heel lift towhich I have above made reference.

It is another object of my invention to provide a heel lift having afiator plane tread face andmeans on the attaching ,face fof the lift toprevent the depression of said tread face when a compressing pressureis? applied in securing the lift to the shoe heel.

My present improvements further comprehend a heel lift construction inwhich the stop washers or flanges for the securing nails are arrangedparallel totheatt'aching face of the lift, and will exert a uniformbearing pressure upon the material of the lift, so that upon thetendency of the lift to return toits normal condition, the resilientmaterial will exert a uniform bearing pres sure on the washers, and thewashers will -not cut into or mutilate the material.

l/Vith the above and other objects in view,

the invention 'consists'in the improved resilient lift for shoe heels,and in the construetion and arrangement of its several parts, as will behereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings,

and subsequently incorporated in the sub;

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one of the simpler forms of theimproved heel lift construction.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional View showing the lift of Figure 1,with relation to the shoe heel before it is secured to the atter.

Figure 8 is a plan view of another form of the heel lift, having a randextending along its side and rear edges.

Figure 8 is a plan view on a reduced scale, similar to Figure 3,graphically illustrating the lines of mergence of the angular surfacesat the breast corners of the lift.

Figure 4: is a longitudinal section of the lift shown in Figure 3 beforeit is secured to the shoe heel.

Figure 5 is a similar view of the lift after it has been secured to theheel.

Figure 6 is a plan view of another slightly modified construction.

Figure 7 is a longitdinal section thereof.

Figure 8 is a transverse section taken on the line 88 of Figure 6, and,

' Figure 9 is a perspective view of the heel lift as shown in Figure 6.

In the drawings I have illustrated my improved heel lift for mens shoes,which is molded between suitable dies in the usual manner from rubber orother composition material, having the requisite degree of resiliency asis now generally used in the art, in the production of such heel lifts.

The lift 5 is formed with a flat or plane tread face 6. In thisembodiment the attaching face of the lift also presents a continuousflat or plane surface 7.

In the molding of the lift, the breast portion 8 thereof is formed at anobtuse inclination with respect to the plane of the body portion, suchinclined breast portion extending across the entire width of the lift.In the embodiment shown, the upper or heel engaging surface 9 of thebreast portion 8 of the lift gradually merges into the plane surface 7,and there is no clearly defined line of demarkation between the surfaces7 and 9. The lower or tread surface 10 of the breast portion 8 of thelift likewise gradually merges into the tread face 6 of the lift body.

In the application of the lift, as above described, to the heel of theshoe, the lift is arranged as seen in Figure 2 of the drawings with itssurfaces 7 and 9 opposed to the face H of the shoe heel, and with thebreast ortion 8 of the lift engaged with the breast edge of the heel,while the rear rounded end of the lift is engaged with the rear edge ofthe heel. Pressure is now applied to the bottom or tread face of thelift at the point of juncture of the breast portion 8 with the liftbody, so that the. lift is flattened out and the breast portion thereofdisposed in substantiallv the same plane as the body portion. Thus aleverage action is applied, and the surfaces 7 and 9 of the attachingface of the lift are brought into intimate contact with the heel face.

In the molding of the lift, the body portion thereof, preferablyinwardly of and in spaced relation to the marginal edges, is providedwith a plurality of nail-receiving sockets 11, and at the inner ends ofthese sockets the washers 12 are embedded in the structure of the lift.It is to be noted that these washers lie in a common horizontal plane,which plane is parallel with the tread and attaching faces of the lift.It is therefore apparent that when the resilient material of the lift isplaced under tension, as a compressing pressure is applied thereto inattaching the lift to the shoe heel, such material, tending to return toits normal condition will exert a uniform-pressure on all portions ofthe washers. The securing nails, being driven at an angle of 90 to theplane of the heel, also exert a uniform pressure upon the washers, sothat all tendency to move the washers angularly within the liftstructure with respect to their normal positions, will be obviated.Consequently, the possibility of the washers cutting into and mutilatingthe resilient material is overcome,

and the life of the lift appreciably prolonged.

It will be readily seen that there is a constant tendency of the lift toreturn to its normal condition, and for the breast portion 8 thereof toagain assume its obtusely inclined relation with respect to the bodyportion of the lift. This tendency acting against the resistinginfluence of the securing nails, causes the marginal edge portion andthe breast edge and corners of the lift to exert a tight hugging orcompressing action against the margins of the heel face. The projectingedges of the lift may be freely trimmed off without destroying thistight frictional adhesion and positive compression of the lift againstthe leather heel.

A heel lift as above described, and likewise of the forms which I willpresently disclose, permits of a greater or more extensire range oftrimming, so that the lift will accurately conform to the size and shapeof the heel, and without, in any way, decreasing the tightness of thejoint obtained around the marginal edges of the lift, than is possiblein the familiar type of rand heel lift now known in the art.

In the manner above explained I have succeeded in producing a heel liftwhich can be easily and quickly applied to the shoe heel withoutrequiring the use of an adhesive, and which will stand very severe usagewithout liability of the edge portions of the lift becoming separated orspaced. from the heel face.

In Figures 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, I

f d seases 'l'iave'disclosed another formfof the-invention, in which"the liftis "provided on its at- 't'a'ching face with a rand: 14'extending along a the side and rear edges thereof. This 'rand presents asingle 'inclinedmarginal surface on the attaching face "of the lift;whichfllift thereis secured all 'theadvantages ofa heel lift havingacontinuous marginal rand merges into the "horizontal pla'ne surface 7The inclined rand surface extends" to the breast edge of the lift. I

1 In this construction the breast portion8 of the lift is "also"longitudinally inclined with respect'to th lift body," as above de--:'scribed, the degree of inclination of the breast portion to the rear1 portion of the lift being-greater thanthat of the randsurfaces I 14 tothe plane'surf'ace 7,'so that the in- 'clined surface '9 of the breastportion at "points adjacent tdthebreast' edge of the lift is normallylocated -1 above a plane coincident V with theside 'marginal edges ofthe rear portion-of the lift. The molding ldies-for this form oftheheelliftare' preferably so -constructed -that T the inclined or deflected"Yb'reast portion lof"*the"lift will be produced withoutzresulting in:sharply defined grooves 'or channels at "the juncture of the inclinedsurface 9" ofs'aid breastportion with the end surfaces of theF'rand 14.

lVhen pressure .isfapplie'd to the tread face "of thee-lift,the'm'arginal edge thereofmisprogressively brought into contact with theleatherheel marginal surface from the rear end of the lift to theupwardly-inclined breast portion 8, and with a gradually in-- creasingfrictional pressrireQwhich pressure is uniformly distributedthroughoutthe en-' I the marginal-edgeportion'of'the lift. -As

the breast portion 8 "straightens' out into-'- the plane of thebody ofthe Iifta' leVerage action is exerted, tendingto "cause'the'resilientmaterial to exert a maximumfrim t'ional pressure against-the leatherheel at the breast corners and "along the entire breast edge of thelift.

--tact*with--the marginal'side'ed'ges of the heel-face, whereby a tighthuggingpressure" of the entire -margin'al1edge of the lift upon:'

This leverage actionthe heel is secured. last referred to results from ithe f fact that shoe heel, this angulanrelation'shlp graduallybeco111es'less;'unti-l theli ft is completely "flattened',.and "thusioau's'ed to iexert an intensive pressure against the face' of "thethat-theserious disadvantages present in the 7 The essential feature 0fthe'-construction last described resides in the offsettingiof'the breastportion of the lift at a longitudinal I ings I have disclosed stillanotherembodiinclination without providing such breast portion with arand, whereby a longitudinal resilient or spring action effect issecured,

V A similar though Y somewhat :less leverageaction occurs as the-'surface of therand 1451s forced 1nto-con and in the provision of therand surfaces and the surface" of said inclined breast portion,"wlnch'results in "producing a transverse re- "silient or *spring actionas the'lift is flattened a'gainst the heel. In the merging of'thesurface's9 "and 14 at the breast corners of the been trimmed.

From reference to Figure 3, it will be -noted that the hail-receivingsockets are so -Z'arranged that a "radially" distributed bear ingpressure will be exerted upon the cor- "nerp'ortions "ofthe lift, andthe substan- 'tiallycontinuoussurfaces 9 and 14 willContact"throughoutthe surface area of the breast corners with theleather heel face;'*- Thus the" gaps or spaces between the, breastcorners of "the lift and the leather heel,

w l'iich"mustrinevitably"result in'the use of a lift having alrand "onthe breast edge, as

well, as the sideledges thereof,- are entirely i eliininatd.

' It: is also *to. be noted thatanother impor- 'tant result incidenttomy improved heel lift construction is that the lift has a perfectlyflat or plane tread face when attached" 'tothe shoeheel. The nailwashersjembo'died in'theresilienfistructure of'the lift "lie in aplane-parallel to this'tread "face, and they will, therefore, sustain auniform pressure upon'the' compression of-the materialo-f the lift,which bearing pressure on the nail washers: I isuniformly V distributedthroughout'the-margin-al p'ortionsfof the lift, and ithout cutting intoor multilating the material. The-life ofcthe heel lift is, therefore,

greatly "prolonged.

-Asrillustrated in Figure 3 of the draw- "ings; it will be appreciatedfrom the above description that '1 have vmerely "taken the ordinary'randtype of 'heel lift, omitting the --rand along the 'breas'tedge and thenbent -o'r'deflected this breast portion of the li'ftupWardly'at alongitudinal obtuse inclination from "the'lift body. In so doing,

the rand portion 'on the marginal edge of th'e lift is likewiseangularlybentin an upward direction along the dotted linesA,and said rand surfacecontinues beyond this line upon the corner of the obtuse breast portionthelift andvmerges with the inclined surface 9 along the dotted lines B.By this "very'simple improvement over the old prior art "lift I havesuccessfully demonstrated '1atter, as heretoforeexplained, may be mentofthe invention, in which preferably in the process of molding the liftthere is provided upon its attaching face, a centrally located raisedportion or projection 17. The upper surface of this raised portion'isnormally below the plane of the marginal edge of the lift, and itsperimeter is chamfered, as at 18, and extends in parallel relation tosaid marginal edge. However, if desired, it is manifest that thisprojection 17 on the attaching face of the lift may be of any otherdesired shape or form, or, as heretofore indicated, may be entirelydispensed with.

In the use of certain grades of rubber, with a heel lift constructed asseen in Figure 3, it is quite possible that with the attachment of thelift to the shoe heel the tread surface thereof will be depressed be lowa normal horizontal plane, soas to produce a cavity in the tread face ofthe lift. Accordingly I propose to provide the attaching face of thelift withthe projection 17, so that in attaching the lift to the heelthis projection will engage the shoe heel when pressure is applied tothe tread face of the lift. This increased thickness of the centralportion of the lift, and its compression, obviates the depression of thetread surface 6, as above referred to, when the lift is finally nailedto the shoe, and insures a perfectly fiat or plane tread surface.

In the use of rubber lifts of the presentnew construction, it has beenfound that the tread of the wearer creating a compression of the rubberat the rear edge of the lift causes a forwardly moving undulation on thetread face of the lift, as the rubber material absorbs, to ,a greater orless 6X- tent, the strains and stresses which are transmitted in aforward direction through the lift body. This undulating action of thetread face of the lift results in the formation of a cavity or hollow inthe tread surface just rearwardly of the breast edge,

and therefore produces in effect, an uneven tread. In my improved heellift construction this objectionable feature is overcome, as the bend inthe breast portion of the lift is located at the point where the hollowwould otherwise be formed. hen the lift is flattened it is reinforced atthis point by the compression of the material, and in tending to returnto its initial passive condition, with the breast portion in angularrelation to the lift body, compensates for the forwardly movingundulation, so that the latter is obliterated as it approaches thebreast edge of the lift. even wearing or tread surface is preserved, andwithout the buckling strain caused by such undulating action during theuse of the lift. This compression and reinforcement of the breastportion of the lift also obviates the possible opening or gapping Thusthe normal of the breast edge of the lift from contact with the heelface, or along the side marginal edges proximate to the breast cornersof the lift.

From the foregoing description, considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, manner of, use, and severaladvantages of my invention will be clearly understood. Vifhile forpurposes of illustration I have described my invention in connectionwith a lift designed for application to mens shoes, it is appar ent, ofcourse, that the lift can also be molded in numerous other sizes forapplication to womens and childrens shoes.

In the construction shown in Figures 3 and 6, it will be noted that thenail-receiving sockets are provided only in the inner body portion ofthe lift, in line with the surface 7, and that the fasteningnails willnot extend through either the breast portion 8 of the lift, or themarginal portion thereof, having the rand 14, since it is desired thatthese latter portions of the lift shall have a maximum of resiliency, sothat they will possess the inherent function of maintaining a positivetight hugging pressure against the heel face.

In the present disclosure I have referred to several lift constructionswhich have embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention asclaimed.

I claim:

1. A resilient heel lift having a major body portion and a minor breastportion, said last named portion inclined upwardly from a line extendingtransversely and entirely across the major portion and adjacent to thebreast edge of the heel, the upper face of the breast portion forming arand which extends from breast corner to breast corner.

2. A resilient heel lift having an attaching baseprovided with a randportion extending entirely around the marginal portion of the lift, therand portion near and at the breast corners of the heel being flat, theflat breast corner portions of the rand being inclined toward theadjacent fiat breast and side portions of the rand.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name hereunder.

IVILLIAM J. TOMPKINS.

